Why these 2 billionaire-led crypto plays stand out as buys: Analyst

12/03/2024 20:45
Why these 2 billionaire-led crypto plays stand out as buys: Analyst

Why two names in crypto standout as buys.

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With bitcoin prices on the cusp of $100,000 amid a stunning post-election rally, the search is on for top ideas in the sector for 2025.

The Benchmark Company analyst Mark Palmer is sticking with two long-time favorites of the crypto bulls: Microstrategy (MSTR) and Galaxy Digital (GLXY.TO).

Palmer sees fair value on Microstrategy at $650, about 68% upside from current levels. Galaxy Digital has at least 16% upside from current levels to $29, based on Palmer's analysis.

Microstrategy began as a software company by Michael Saylor, who has since morphed into a crypto loyalist with a net worth of about $9.6 billion on the back off his aggressive bitcoin buying at the company.

Although the software business remains robust, “the total contribution from the software company is $2 out of $650,” explained Palmer to Yahoo Finance executive editor Brian Sozzi on his Opening Bid podcast (video above; listen below).

“There are some synergies and other reasons why the software company is supportive of Microstrategy as a whole…but the math says that it is not significant when it comes to the valuation of the stock.”

Saylor has recently made dozens of headlines for buying up and then “hoarding” bitcoin reserves, a move “I can’t compare to many other things,” said Palmer.

“It’d be like if Target's (TGT) CEO went out and started stocking up on Tesla (TSLA) cars for some reason to buy so they had batteries.”

Although “strange,” his moves over the past year are akin to oil companies with reserves, “and that they are valued not just based on the reserves, but also the likelihood that they’re going to tap those reserves over time,” said Palmer.

“The idea is that bitcoin yield [the amount of bitcoins a company buys period-over-period divided by the company’s total diluted shares] demonstrates the amount of additional value that the company has created through its Treasury operations," Palmer added.

In a recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), MicroStrategy said it spent $5.4 billion to acquire 55,000 bitcoins between Nov. 18 and Nov. 24, buying the bitcoin at an average price of $97,862.

MicroStrategy held approximately 386,700 bitcoins, acquired for an aggregate purchase price of about $21.9 billion and an average purchase price of approximately $56,761 per bitcoin.

"The future is digital, right? There's a race to own cyberspace. That being the case, empires are built on productive property, and they're defended by firepower, naval power, air power, nuclear power, and digital power. Bitcoin's digital power. You want bitcoin. You want to own cyberspace... It's a good investment," Saylor said in August on Yahoo Finance's Market Domination.

At Galaxy Digital, its billionaire CEO Mike Novogratz — a former Goldman Sachs alum — has taken a page out of the investment bank's playbook, said Palmer.

Novogratz has built “a business with a similar approach to capital markets, but focused on cryptocurrency,” he said. “This is a firm that enables trading and lending.”

Galaxy Digital has potential to appeal to institutional investors looking for “all of the sophistication of the biggest shops on the street,” said Palmer. “As institutional investors get more involved in crypto, Galaxy Digital stands to benefit from that.”

The company has also caught the attention of those aiming to dabble in artificial intelligence plays as it's expanding its West Texas Helios data center.

“Suddenly, you have a situation where bitcoin miners that have data centers that can be used to power AI and high-performance computing projects are incredibly valuable,” he said.

Three times each week, Yahoo Finance Executive Editor Brian Sozzi fields insight-filled conversations and chats with the biggest names in business and markets on Opening Bid. You can find more episodes on our video hub or watch on your preferred streaming service.

Grace Williams is a writer for Yahoo Finance.

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